subject: Selling Your Company To Candidates [print this page] You only get one chance to make a first impression, which is why recruiters always stress the importance of dressing for success and staying positive. Its not impossible to overcome a first impression, but youre putting yourself at a distinct disadvantage if you skulk into an interview wearing a Tommy Bahama club shirt and complain about your last boss. Its an important lesson for candidates, but its just as important for our clients and anyone that wants to land the top talent.
Just like the candidate walking into your office should be putting their best foot forward, you should be putting your A-game on display. People will make assumptions about yourorganizationbased on everything from how the interview develops to what kind of candy is on the receptionists desk. Thats not an invitation to roll out the smoke and mirrors, but you should be aware that the candidate isnt the only one under the microscope during the hiring process.
This assessment starts long before candidates decide to send you a resume and, if youre not creating the right impression, you could be putting yourself at a disadvantage. Granted, presenting your company in the best light is more complicated than choosing which shirt to wear to an interview, but identifyingyour strengths and thinking about your audience will go a long way.
If your brand has a unique voice, dont write your job postings in standard business-speak. (In fact, avoid that whenever possible.) If youre looking for a creative graphic designer, astandardtext job ad might not be the best bet. If the opportunity youre looking for has a broadmandate, sell the candidate on thepossibilities! As long as you keep it consistent with reality, youll get a lot more traction with your target audience.
If your website, social media presence and branding support the story youre telling in a job posting,fantastic. If not, you can own the fact that things are a little different behind the scenes. If you keep it honest, focus on the positive and inject some personality into the process, people will connect with your company. Once theyre invested, theyll start to sell you on why you need them. This makes your job easier and can help you hook the candidates that are looking for more than just a job.
The next step is to make sure that whoever is doing your interviews is on the same page as the person doing the job postings. Nothing will kill a candidates energy faster than walking into an inquisition when they thought they were going to the circus. If the HR person doesnt smile much, a wingman with a sense of humor can reassure a candidate that the office is as welcoming as it sounded on the website.
If you focus on honesty, consistency and personality, youll find more candidates come knocking and it wont be so hard to convince the good ones to make the switch. Your organization has something unique to offer, so dont hide that behind a job description template and a careers page.
